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Dietrich von Swells
DISCLAIMER: I'm not a very good lore writer, things are subject to change and I'm open to constructive criticism in the comment section. Dietrich von Swells is a Centralian noble who recently has been around Central castletown after the purge of Rivertown and the death of his family. He on occasion disappears for weeks or sometimes months on end to quench his wanderlust. Biography Early Life Dietrich was born in 328 PD outside of Rivertown located in Central Kingdom to Czarina and Otto von Swells as their eldest son. Dietrich would visit town frequently and roam the streets as a child, and would go on small "adventures". Once he turned seven, he became a paige to a knight through some work of his father. As a squire, he became interested in two-handed swords, eventually training with a zweihander from the age of fourteen. This was his main weapon until the time he was knighted. After this, he crafted his own sword tailored to his build and fighting style and has used it since (see Equipment). Knighthood and Campaigns Dietrich's father, Otto, was a lesser noble in Central, and he participated in many campaigns for both Central Kingdom and his own personal gain. Dietrich joined his father from the time he was eighteen in his campaigns, and quickly took an interest in mounted polearms and archery. While he was at his best with his zweihander, he did train with polearms as a squire as it was expected of a knight to be able to fight as armored cavalry. When it came to archery, Dietrich was always seen as decent at best, and his niche use meant that he rarely used it. Nevetheless, he enjoyed shooting his bow from time to time. Though Dietrich was a noble, he spent most of his time on campaign with his party and conversed with his men as equals. After the besieging of Central castle, their campaigns came to an end, however this did not stop Otto from travelling with his son and going on small campaigns to distant lands for months at a time. The Purge of Rivertown By the time of the Rivertown purge, Dietrich was old enough to lead his own men, and he had been out with a small party of around fifteen men in Trepheon. When he returned, he found his town ransacked, and his family nowhere to be found. Though this deeply saddened Dietrich, he found escape in sparring. He grew fond of tournaments and participated in any he could. Present Day Dietrich currently resides in a house located about a quarter mile from Rivertown, and he can be seen occasionally in the streets of Central castletown. He occasionally participates in tournaments and goes on travels all over Trepheon and Nerius. Appearance and Personality Dietrich von Swells is an ectomorph, or tall and slender. Yet, he is notably strong for his size, and able to contend with those that have more athletic builds. He has brown hair which he usually keeps in a bun and a thick beard he seldom shaves while on his travels. He has blue eyes and fair skin. Because of his frequent exposure and conversation with his party, he does not look down on peasants and other common folk throughout Central. He will take orders from those more capable in a particular situation, regardless of their social status. In this way, he was a firm believer in meritocracy. He also does not like to disclose his nobility unless it comes up in conversation, as it brings a negative connotation for some people. Being a knight, he also acts with chivalry, and tries to use his skills in diplomacy before resorting to fighting. Equipment Dietrich wears his coat of arms proudly, and under that a suit of mail, brigandine, and gambeson tunic. His main weapon of choice is his hand-crafted, tempered steel zweihander sword with spikes and side rings protruding from the cross guard and lugs on the blade itself to prevent an enemy's blade from sliding down too far in a bind. The sword is 5'4" in length and 8 pounds in weight, making it slower than a normal two-hander, but more powerful and allowing it to easily crush small swords with sheer force (this sword is inspired by the one pictured here). He also uses a bow made of oak, and bodkin arrows. He is often seen fighting on horseback, and they are used for close range, high penetration combat. While he is not often seen with it, he also is capable of using a lance and shield with his coat of arms quite frequently on horseback. His horse is an armored charger with his coat of arms displayed on the armor, and the horse itself sports a chestnut coat.